Matki dal is an easy and nutritious curry made with protein rich moth bean. A simple and easy curry in onion tomato base.
You can make it for lunch and goes well with steamed rice or phulka/ Roti.
This was inspired by my green moong dal recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing bhindi do pyaza recipe.
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed for Matki dal
- Moth bean sprouts/ or soaked moth beans
- Onion
- Tomato
- Green chilli
- Spice powders- Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and coriander powder, amchoor powder
- Ginger garlic paste
- Lemon juice
See recipe card for full list and quantities.
Sprouting matki
Though you can use just overnight soaked dal in this recipe, sprouting adds nutritional value.
- Wash moth beans firstly & soak for 10 hours minimum.
- After that, change the water and add little fresh, say ½ to ¾ cup.
- Leave it overnight covered and it will absorb all the liquid and already started sprouting in the morning.
- Just toss and keep covered. It will continue to grow evenly. Just make sure to sprinkle liquid if it gets dry.
- Moth bean sprouts (Matki sprouts) ready!
Instructions
Prep
- Take moth beans and wash it firstly. Add enough water and soak overnight.
- You can alternately sprout as I did for more nutritional value. (Refer above for sprouting process)
- Drain water and keep the dal ready.
- Take a small pressure cooker. Add oil to it firstly followed by cumin, asafoetida, green chilli.
2. Then add onion and saute till transparent.
3. After that, add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
4. In goes tomato puree (just grind tomato cubes in blender), followed by spice powders.1 teaspoon Red chilli powder,½ teaspoon Cumin seeds powder,¼ teaspoon Turmeric,1 teaspoon Garam masala
5. Mix well and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until oil separates and water content evaporates.
It may splutter initially so, you can partially cover. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
6. Now add moth beans, 1 & ½ cups water, salt, amchoor powder, jaggery and mix well.
7. Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. If sprouts 2 whistles is enough, if just overnight soaked bean, cook furthermore for total 4 whistles.
8. Once pressure is released naturally, open the lid and mix, mash some dal for creamy texture.
9. At this stage you can add cream for rich results, refer under 'Variations' for ideas.
10. Simmer for 2 minutes and adjust water if needed. It won't take much water, so add carefully.
11. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice finally and mix well.
Serve with steamed rice or phulka/ roti.
Variations
- Ginger garlic paste - you can add just finely chopped ginger or garlic any one of it.
- No onion no garlic version - Skip onion, GG paste and use just finely chopped ginger
- Deluxe - Add butter and cream just like you would add to dal makhani. If so, do it once you mash the dal and simmer. For this recipe, you can add ¼ cup cooking cream and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Storage
You can store the dal after cooling down for upto 3 days in fridge. Or freeze upto 3 months.
Top tip
- While cooking dal, use less water and once pressure cooked, mash it for a homogenous texture.
- Sprouts gets cooked easily and gets digested easily as well. If just overnight soaked dal, give couple of more whistles.
- Since matki dal can be bland easily, add lots of spices and tangy ingredients to balance the taste.
Recipe card
Matki dal recipe, Moth bean curry
Ingredients
- ½ cup Moth beans Soaked overnight or sprouted (see above for method)
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 Tomato pureed
- 2 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- 1 Green chilli finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Jaggery
- Salt
- Spice powders
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Amchoor powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds powder Roasted cumin seeds powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 3 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
Instructions
- Take moth beans and wash it firstly. Add enough water and soak overnight.
- You can alternately sprout as I did for more nutritional value. (Refer above for sprouting process)
- Drain water and keep the dal ready.
- Take a small pressure cooker, temper with cumin seeds.
- After that, add asafoetida and chopped green chilli.
- Then add onion and saute till transparent.
- After that, add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
- In goes tomato puree, followed by spice powders.1 teaspoon Red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds powder, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric, 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- Mix well and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until oil separates. It may splutter so, you can partially cover. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
- Now add moth beans, 1 & ½ cups water, salt, amchoor powder, jaggery and mix well.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. If sprouts 2 whistles is enough, if just overnight soaked bean, cook furthermore for total 4 whistles.
- Once pressure is released naturally, open the lid and mix, mash some dal for creamy texture.
- At this stage you can add cream for rich results, refer under 'Variations' for ideas.
- Simmer for 2 minutes and adjust water if needed. It won't take much water, so add carefully.
- Switch off the flame, add lemon juice finally and mix well.
Video
Notes
- While cooking dal, use less water and once pressure cooked, mash it for a homogenous texture. Sprouts gets cooked easily and gets digested easily as well. If just overnight soaked dal, give couple of more whistles.
- Since matki dal can be bland easily, add lots of spices and tangy ingredients to balance the taste.
- Use cooking cream and butter at end for creamy variation.
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